Kansas City’s barbecue craze can be traced back to Henry Perry, who, in the early 1920s, began barbecuing in an outdoor pit adjacent to his streetcar barn, serving slabs of food wrapped in newspaper. Perry’s ‘cue became so popular that fans began imitating his technique and style to create their own unique recipes.
A second wave of barbecue pioneers, including familiar names like Bryant, Gates and Fiorella, came up in the 1930s and ‘40s as Kansas City earned a reputation as a renowned stockyard and meat-packing city.
Their distinctive tastes, talents and flair laid the groundwork for an unprecedented, eclectic barbecue culture that’s recognized on a global scale.
Now aged like a fine wine, these classic barbecue joints have been smokin’ for more than 50 years in Kansas City. Get to know them all before you follow this KC Barbecue Founders trail.
Rosedale Bar-B-Q
Rosedale Bar-B-Qis the Kansas City area’s oldest major barbecue restaurant, first opened in 1934, and it’s still owned and operated by the same family today.
This Kansas City, Kansas, spot initially began as a hot dog and beer stand, but the owners started craving barbecue and decided to take a leap of faith. With less than $200, they changed their menu, started a new business 100 feet away and fired up the barbecue pit.
Decades later, Rosedale sticks to a traditional menu of KC’s signature cuisine but also pays homage to its beginnings with “some of the best hot dogs in town.”
Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue
Brothers Charlie and Arthur Bryant worked for Henry Perry for several years. When Perry died in 1940, Charlie took over his business and then Arthur in turn took the helm in 1946.
Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue gained popularity throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s since it was located just a few blocks from Municipal Stadium where the Kansas City Athletics (later the Kansas City Royals) and the Kansas City Chiefs once played.
Famous diners over the years include former presidents Harry S. Truman, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, director Steven Spielberg, actor Harrison Ford and many more.
Gates Bar-B-Que
This family-owned restaurant first opened in 1946 when George W. Gates started “Gates Ol’ Kentucky” with Arthur Pinkard, a former Henry Perry employee, in the kitchen. Several members of the Gates family have been involved in the business and still are today.
In the decades since, Gates Bar-B-Q has grown from a single location in the 18th and Vine District to now five locations across the Kansas City area.
These days, Gates is known for its tangy sauce, brisket sandwich and trademark greeting, “Hi may I help you?” for every customer that enters the door.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
Russ Fiorella started cooking up barbecue back in 1957 at a modest stand with just five to six menu items. By the mid-1970s, his son branched out and opened Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue in south Kansas City. He smoked gourmet meats over hickory wood with an extensive menu.
Generations later, Jack Stack Barbecue has six locations, still under Fiorella family ownership and has the largest wood-fired cookery in the country.
Snead’s Bar-B-Q
Located south of Kansas City in Belton, Missouri, Snead’s Bar-B-Q first fired up the pits on Bill Snead’s family farm in 1956. Snead had to expand the restaurant several times as it grew in popularity in the area.
Decades later, this casual eatery in the country still uses many of the original recipes. Snead’s is well known for its signature rib tips platter and burnt ends, which they jokingly call “brownies.”
Trailblaze Your Own Path Through KC’s Barbecue Scene with the Kansas City BBQ Experience
